Kaudulla National Park, Sigiriya - Timings, Safari Cost, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 20 km from Habarana, 38 km from Sigiriya, 36 km from Polonnaruwa, 75 km from Trincomalee and 82 km from Anuradhapura, Kaudulla National Park is a national park situated near the town of Galoya in Polonnaruwa district of North Central Province in Sri Lanka. It is one of the best national parks on the island which can be visited as part of Sri Lanka Packages.

Kaudulla National Park is one of Sri Lanka's youngest national parks, having only been designated a protected area in 2002, becoming the 15th nature reserve on the island. Along with Minneriya and Girithale, BirdLife International has identified Kaudulla as an Important Bird Area. The Kaudulla reservoir which lies in the center of the reserve is the main focal point of wildlife in the park. Historically Kaudulla was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen. Following a period of abandonment, it was reconstructed in 1959. The two-third area of the park is underwater during several months of the year as it is home to the Relapanawa reservoir, Olumadu Wewa reservoir, Puliyan Kalla wewa reservoir, Minneriya-Kanthale Yoda Ela canal, Aluth Oya stream and Hatharas Kotuwa Oya along with the historical Kaudulla reservoir.

Covering over an area of 6656 ha, this dry evergreen forest is home to 24 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 160 species of birds. The elephants at Kaudulla are the main stars of the National Park. August to September is the best period to visit Kaudulla National Park in view of the famous Gathering of wild elephants. Besides elephants, there are many other wild animals in the park including Sri Lankan sambar deer, chevrotain, wild boar, Sri Lankan leopard, and sloth bear. The Kaudulla National Park is also connected to the Somawathie Chaitiya Park and the Minneriya Wildlife Park, both of which are excellent spots where you can explore Sri Lanka's wildlife, especially elephants.

Kaudulla is also a bird paradise as it is home to nearly 160 species of birds including large water birds such as Spot-billed Pelican and Lesser Adjutant visit the Kaudulla tank. Asian Spoonbill, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Openbill Stork, Peacock, Eagle, Giant Eagle are common sights at the park. One of the most spectacular sceneries in the park is hundreds of pelicans at the tank during the sunset. Kaudulla National Park is also home to numerous reptiles including Freshwater turtles, Indian Flap-shelled Turtle, and Indian Black Turtle.

If you want to explore the national park, there is no better way to do it than to do a jeep safari through the park. The jeep safaris usually start off from the main entry gate of the Kaudulla National Park and take you around the entire park to watch the wild closely. There are two jeep safari slots that you can choose from, the morning slot or the afternoon slot. The morning slot starts at 5:30 AM while the afternoon slot starts at 2:30 PM. Each safari lasts about 3 hours. If you are going mainly for the elephants, we suggest you take the afternoon safari slot.

Timings: 6 PM - 6 PM

Safari Timings: 5.30 AM - 9 AM & 2.30 PM - 6 PM

Entry: USD. 10 for Foreign Adults & USD. 5 for Foreign Child, USD. 50 for Jeep Safari per Person (approximately)